Tuesday, May 10, 2016

AFA claims that "Bruce Jenner" is mentally ill

Billy Davis and Steve Jordahl write for American Family Association's “news” blog. I do not know anything about these guys, Contributor Alex McFarland is a Christian extremist oblivious to science. They combine to write “Wrapping mental illness in the American flag.”

In polite society we address people as they wish to be addressed irrespective of our approval or disapproval. In this case that would be “Caitlyn Jenner.” Once again AFA demonstrates why they are designated an anti-LGBT hate group by the SPLC. According to their piece:

Sports Illustrated has announced plans to feature Bruce Jenner on its cover, clad in only an American Flag and his Olympic gold medal.

The world-famous Olympic veteran stunned the world last year when he announced he was transgender, then underwent surgery and hormone treatment to appear female. He is now known as "Caitlyn."

The planned cover photo is the journalistic equivalent of syrup of ipecac, the medicine used to induce vomiting, says Christian apologist and author Dr. Alex McFarland.

I do not know where the “Dr.” McFarland came from. He claims to have a masters degree in Christian Thought and Apologetics from Liberty University. He has an honorary Doctorate from both Southern Evangelical Seminary and Louisiana Baptist University. If he insists on the honorific he gets it but it is pretentious. The piece continues:

”It's wrong to encourage people,” he says, “into a behavior, transgenderism, that causes a much higher likelihood of attempted suicide and so many other things.”

Being transgender is a medical condition known as gender dysphoria. It is not a choice (people cannot be “encouraged” to be transgender). Nor is it a behavior. Transgender people do have a higher rate of suicide. Some of that is due to their condition and some of that is due to the disapproval that people like McFarland advocate. McFarland's statement is the scientific equivalent of saying “it is wrong to encourage people to have cancer because of the increased risk of death.” It makes no sense. But there is more:

Transgenderism is known by the American Psychiatric Association as "gender dysphoria."

Under pressure from homosexual activists, "gender dysphoria" replaced "gender identity disorder" in 2013 and is no longer referred to as a mental illness. Homosexuality was dropped in much the same manner in 1973.

To receive insurance-covered medical care, however, the transgendered must have a medical diagnosis. So describing the non-mental illness as "gender dysphoria" ensures medical care but drops the "stigmatizing effect," the APA has reasoned.

First of all, the idea that assessments of the APA were part of some conspiracy (the homosexual agenda™) is Christian mythology. It might be arguable. What is inarguable is the fact that McFarland has no training in social or medical science. Yet he weighs in as if he had the erudition to do so:

McFarland says Sports Illustrated is falling in line under relentless pressure from transgender activists and the spirit of the age.

Bruce Jenner (Olympics)"Now to engage in social engineering - to aid and abet the loss of morality in our culture - is just further proof that Sports Illustrated is not a positive contribution to our culture," says McFarland.

Far more troubling, he observes, is what such an endorsement could do to impressionable young people who read the magazine – both those who may also be confused about their own gender and those trying to navigate a world that teaches boy is girl is man is woman.

Sure. It is always the same bullshit from these people. In spite of a mountain of peer reviewed and published research to the contrary they insist that LGBT people pose a threat to children. This is hate speech from a hate group and shameless participants.